The present invention relates to a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus which has an improved brake control mechanism. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus such as an 8 mm video tape recorder designed for recording and reproducing electric signals in a narrow metallic tape of 8 mm wide and housed in an extremely small cassette of 95.times.62.5.times.15 mm. Still more particularly, the invention is concerned with a brake control mechanism which has a simple and small-sized construction suitable for use in a compact video tape recorder of the type mentioned above.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 163264/1985, which was laid open to public inspection on Aug. 26, 1985, discloses an apparatus in which tape is extracted from and retracted into a tape cassette by parallel relative movement between a first base plate (referred to as a "sub chassis" hereinafter) carrying the tape cassette thereon and a second base plate (referred to as a "main chassis" hereinafter) carrying a rotary head assembly thereon. In the design of this known apparatus, however, no specific consideration is given as to which one of the right and left reels the tape is extracted from in the loading and unloading of the tape. In addition, no suggestion is made as to the manner in which the reel bases are braked during the loading and unloading of the tape. In consequence, it is often experienced with this known apparatus that, when a demounted tape cassette is mounted once again for the purpose of tape loading, the tape is extracted from both the supply reel and the take-up reel depending on the amounts of tape on the reel hubs. The extraction of the tape from the take-up reel causes the following problem: Namely, since the portion of the tape extracted from the take-up reel is wound on the rotary head cylinder, signals recorded in this portion of the tape, i.e., the end portion of the information recorded in the preceding recording operation, is undesirably erased because new signals are recorded in this portion of the tape when the recording is re-started. This problem would be overcome if a suitable braking mechanism could be mounted on the apparatus. In the apparatus of the type in which the extraction and retraction of the tape rely upon the parallel relative movement between the main and sub chassis, however, it is very difficult to find out a sufficient space for mounting the braking mechanism, including an actuating power source, on the restricted area of the sub chassis which carries the cassette.